Vehicle-wheel.



T. H. RUSHTON.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1911.

1,0385%4. Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANDCIRAPH 00., WASHINGTON. n. c.

T. H. RUSHTON.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

FIGJL.

FIG

COLUMBIA PLANOWH 60-, WASHINGTON, D. O.

uni

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THoMAs HENRY RUsrIToN, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New Cleethorpes,Grimsby, in the county of Lincoln, England, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in wheels for motor and other roadvehicles, bicycles and the like, and has for its object to produce awheel which will among other things, he possessed of great resiliency,will adapt itself to unevenness of the road or ground and to curves insuch a manner that a flat tread or bearing surface is always presented,and will be unpuncturable, hence the upkeep will be exceedingly small ascompared with that of existing wheels having pneumatic tires.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a spokeless wheelconstructed in accordance with my invention, parts being broken away toenable other parts behind to be seen. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the backof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 4 is atransverse section of one of the metal or like strong rings having aninner and an outer groove. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of a portionof the wheel. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the wheelshowing a means for preventing creeping or annular movement of theelastic band or tube. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a portion of awheel in which the elastic portions are comprised by an air tube and anouter cover inclosing the air'tube. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of aportion of a wheel provided with spokes.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section of a portion of a wheel showing anelastic band of rectangular shape in cross section and a ring forreceiving the same, and Fig. 10 is a side view of Fig. 9. Figs. 5, 6, 7,8, 9 and 10 are drawn to a larger scale than the other figures.

A wheel in accordance with my invention is composed of a plurality ofelastic bands or elastic inflatable tubes and of a suitable annularlygrooved ring or plurality of such rings arranged concentrically with orSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16, 1911.

Patented July so, 1912.

Serial No. 649,686.

around the wheel hub, the first elastic band or tube being fitted in anannular groove in or on the periphery of the wheel hub, or in a troughshaped rim carried by the ends of the spokes, as the case may be, andthe remaining elastic band or bands or tube or tubes arrangedconcentrically therewith.

In constructing a spokeless wheel' I provide the wheel hub 1 with anannular groove or trough 2 which is either formed in the hub itself orin a rim secured to the periphery of the hub, and I place an elasticband or an inflatable elastic tube 3 in the annular groove 2 in such hubor rim 1, the said elastic band or tube 3 being of such a diameter as tofit tightly in the said groove 2. On the elastic band or tube 3 I placea metal, wood or other suitable strong ring 4 having an inner annulargroove 5 and an outer annular groove 6, the said metal or like ringbeing of such a diameter as to fit tightly on the elastic band or tube3, and in the outer annular groove 6 of the said metal or like ring 4 Ifit an elastic band or tube 7 of such a diameter or size as to fittightly in such groove, and on the elastic band or tube 7 I may place atightly fitting metal, wood or other strong ring 8 similar in shape tothe ring 4 but of larger diameter, and in the outer groove of such ringplace a tightly fitting elastic band or tube 9. I thus have a Wheelcomposed of a hub 1, an elastic band or inflatable tube 3 tightlyencircling such hub, a metal or like strong ring 4 tightly encirclingthe elastic band or tube 3, an elastic band or tube 7 tightly encirclingthe ring 4, a metal or like strong ring 8 tightly encircling the elasticband or tube 7, and an elastic band or tube 9 tightly encircling themetal or like ring 8, as shown at Figs. 1, 3 and 5 of the accompanyingdrawings. I may however, vary the number of elastic bands or tubes andmetal or like grooved rings, depending upon the size of wheel to beproduced, but the number of elastic bands or tubes I shall employwillnot be less than two and consequently at least one metal or like groovedring such as 4 will be necessary. When inflatable tubes are employed,the valves 10 of such tubes, or of the air tubes, when air tubesinclosed within outer covers are employed as illustrated at Fig. 7 ofthe drawings, are passed through holes or notches in one side of the huband of the metal or like ring or rings, which are each preferablyprovided with an annular side groove 11 into which such valves projectand by which they are protected.

For the purpose of protecting the outer or last fitted elastic band ortube of the wheel against wear and also against the liability to bepunctured if it is in the form of an inflatable tube, I may provide suchouter band or tube with a metal hoop or tire of any suitable kind, toreceive which, I preferably thicken the periphery of such band or tubein such a way as to form a flat periphery or tread on which I place ametal hoop 12 having side flanges 13 adapted to engage the sides of thetread of the band or tube, as shown at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5 to 10inclusive of the drawings.

To obviate any liability of displacement of the elastic bands or tubesand of the metal or like grooved ring or rings as a result of lateralstrain or twisting of the wheel when in use, or from any other cause, Isecure a strong dished metal disk or plate 14 or the equivalent to theback of the wheel, said disk or the like being secured to the hub '1 byscrews 15 or the equivalent and to the metal or like grooved ring orrings by screws 16, 17 or the equivalent, the screws 16, 17 passingthrough metal rings 18, 19 and through holes 20, 21 in the metal disk orthe like 14, the holes 20, 21 being sufficiently large to leave ampleroom for movement of the disk or the like on compression of the wheeltakin place as a result of such wheel bearing on the ground. Rollers 22,23 are by preference mounted on the screws 16,17, to take up frictionshould the compression of the wheel be such as to cause the metal aroundthe holes to come in contact with the rollers. The rings 18, 19 inconjunction with the metal disk or the like 14 limitthe bending ortwsting of the wheel in an inward and outward direction.

The elastic bands or tubes may be provided with annular ribs 24 to fitannular grooves 25 in the groove in the hub and in the metal or likegrooved ring or rings, to cause such bands or tubes to adjust themselvesto the grooves in which they are fitted, and to prevent them fromtwisting or getting out of position, and they maybe further providedwith lugs or projections 26 at suitable distances apart to engage orenter holes or notches 27 in the sides of the hub and the metal or thelike grooved ring or rings, to prevent creeping or movement in anannular direction of such bands or tubes.

When the wheel has spokes whether of wood or of wire or the like, theouter ends of the spokes carry arim or ring having a single annulargroove in it, and the arrangemerit of elastic bands or tubes and groovedmetal or like ring or rings is the same as hereinbefore described withreference to a spokeless wheel. F ig. 8 of the drawings shows intransverse sect-ion, a portion of a wheel provided with wood spokes andtwo elastic tubes, and in such figure, 28 designates the hub, 29 thespokes, 30 the annularly grooved ring carried by the ends of the spokes,31 an elastic inflatable tube fitting tightly the ring 30; 32 a metal orother strong ring having an inner and an outer annular groove andfitting tightly the elastic tube 31, 33 an elastic tube fitting tightlythe metal or like ring 32, and 34 ametal hoop or tire fitting on theperiphery of the elastic tube 33. 35 designates the disk or platesecured to the back of the wheel, 36 ametal ring secured by screws 37 orthe equivalent to the grooved metal or like ring 32, and 38 the rolleron the screw37'.

The elastic bands or tubes may be of any suitable shape in crosssection, Figs. 3, and 5 to 8 inclusive of the drawings showing tubescircular in cross section with the exception of the outer or completingtube, which is broadened to provide a flat tread toireceive the metalhoop, but I may employ solid elastic bands, or inflatable tubes ofsquare or rectangular shape in cross sect-ion, and at Figs. 9 and 10 Ihave illustrated a portion of a wheel provided with solid elastic bandsof rectangular shape in cross section, the groove in the hub and thosein the metal or like ring or rings bein of a shape to conform to thesection of the elastic bands. 39, 4O designate two solid elastic bands,41 the metal or like ring situated between the two i said elasticbands,'and 42 the metal hoop or tire. For lightening the metal ring 41,holes 43 may be made through the solid part laterally at suitabledistances apart. This arrangement is particularly suitable for heavyvehicles for commercial purposes.

When the elastic portions of the wheel are in the form of inflatabletubes, the sides of such tubes are provided with suitable fabric ormaterial 44, Fig. 7, to prevent such tubes being squeezed outwardlythrough the space between the hub and the annularly ooved ring, andbetween each two rings i a plurality of rings are employed.

The wheel is fitted to the vehicle or the like in any of the usual ways.

I claim 1. In a vehicle wheel, the combination, with a center portion,of annular cushions encircling the center portion, a spacing-ringarranged between the said cushions and provided with inner and outercircumferential grooves which engagewith the said cushions, pinsprojecting laterallyfrom the said spacing-ring, a disk secured to oneside of the said center portion and arranged normally out of contactwith the said cushions and ring and having holes for the said pins, andmeans, secured to the'free ends of the pins, for limiting theirmovements, the latring in each direction being controlled by the saiddisk.

2. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination, with a center portion, of aplurality of an nular cushions arranged concentric with the said centerportion, a continuous spacingring arranged between the said cushions,said spacing-ring being provided With circumferential grooves Whichengage With the said cushions and prevent them from sliding laterally,pins projecting laterally from the spacing-ring, a disk secured to thesaid center portion and having holes for the middle parts of the saidpins, and a ring secured to the free ends of the pins and normallyarranged out of contact With the disk.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

